Indo-Pacific warm pool present warming attribution and future projection constraint

Abstract

The Indo-Pacific warm pool (IPWP) has warmed and expanded substantially over the past decades, which has significantly affected the hydrological cycle and global climate system. It is unclear how the IPWP will change in the future under anthropogenic (ANT) forcing. Here, we quantify the human contribution to the observed IPWP warming/expansion and adjust the projected IPWP changes using an optimal fingerprinting method based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations. We find that more than 95% rapid warming and 85% expansion of the observed IPWP are detected and attributable to human influence. Furthermore, human activities affect IPWP warming through both greenhouse gases and ANT aerosols. The multiple model ensemble mean can capture the ANT warming trend and tends to underestimate the ANT warming trend. After using the observation constraint, the IPWP warming is projected to increase faster than that of the ensemble mean in the 21st Century, and the Indian Ocean warm pool is projected to expand more than previously expected. The rapid warming and expansion of IPWP over the rest of the 21st century will impact the climate system and the life of human beings.

Keywords

• Indo-Pacific warm pool
• CMIP6
• future projection
• attribution